The International Travelers Barely Know Ask a first-time international traveler to name an ancient Chinese dynasty and you’ll probably hear: Qin dynasty (秦朝, Qíncháo)→ Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇, Qín Shǐhuáng) and the Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bīngmǎyǒng). Han dynasty (汉朝, Hàncháo)→ one...
One Bronze. Two Familiar Characters. One Very Long Rabbit Hole. If you’re learning Mandarin, there are two Chinese characters you probably recognize very quickly: 中国 — Zhōngguó China Easy. 中 — zhōng middle / center 国 — guó country / state...
Beyond Xi’an: Qishan (岐山) & Zhouyuan (周原) — Walking Through the Homeland of the Zhou Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) gives most international travelers their first great encounter with ancient China. The: Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑, Bīngmǎyǒng), Qin Dynasty (秦朝, Qín Cháo), and: Qin...
You’ve Seen the Terracotta Warriors. Now Take the Train West and Find Out What Came Before. For most first-time international travelers: Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) is already one of the great stops on a China itinerary. And rightly so. You come for:...
Section 1 — Why China Kept Building Walls Most international travelers meet the Great Wall near Beijing. Elaine and I went farther west, to Yanmenguan in Shanxi — one of China’s great northern mountain passes. Standing there made me ask a...
Section 1 — From Xi’an to Yuncheng: Another Rabbit Hole Across the Yellow River Travel northeast from Xi’an into Yuncheng and Chinese history does something slightly strange. Instead of asking you to remember another emperor or another battle, it asks a...
An overlooked city beyond Xi’an. China’s great historian. A legendary flood-controller. Remarkable ancient temples. And a city that surprised Dad and Elaine long after sunset. QUICK ANSWER — WHY SHOULD YOU VISIT HANCHENG? Most international travelers visiting Xi’an (西安, Xī’ān) head...
Just a Few Hours From Beijing, Walk Into One of the Great Bronze Age Capitals of the Ancient World Beijing can easily consume an entire first trip to China. The: Forbidden City. Great Wall. Temple of Heaven. Summer Palace. Ming. Qing....
We stopped overnight in Handan on our way from Beijing toward the UNESCO ruins of ancient Shang at Anyang. We visited Congtai, took our photographs and continued south. Only later did I realize just how badly I had underestimated this city....
Section 1 — You Came to Jinan for the Springs. Good Place to Start. Take the: high-speed train (高铁, gāotiě) south from: Beijing (北京, Běijīng) and before long you can be in: Jinan (济南, Jǐnán), capital of: Shandong Province (山东省, Shāndōng...
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